EAST RUTHERFORD -- Though preparations for next season have in many ways already started, they will begin in earnest at the final whistle on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium following the Giants' season-finale against the Redskins.

And the Giants (6-9) as we currently know them may change dramatically. They have roughly 30 free agents, including defensive end Justin Tuck and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. The futures of veterans such as Chris Snee, David Baas, David Diehl, Mathias Kiwanuka, Shaun Rogers, Terrell Thomas, Andre Brown, Keith Rivers and Linval Joseph are in question.

This is the fourth time in the past five seasons that the Giants have missed the playoffs.

“The evaluation of the current team will be right away,” coach Tom Coughlin said on Thursday afternoon.

Coughlin said this is no time for him to get nostalgic regarding the future of some long-time Giants. He said he hasn’t spoken to players individually about them possibly playing their last game as Giants. It’s about beating the Redskins, he said.

But defensive coordinator Perry Fewell admitted this is an emotional time.

“It’s tough as a coach emotionally when you’re playing your last game, period,” Fewell said. “Then, when you couple that with free agency, yeah, it’s a difficult thing.

“You try to take that out of it because it’s a business but the human side of it tells you that you have developed a relationship, you love these guys. They have gone to war for you. They’ve done some things, gone through some things with their bodies with the pains and aches that normal people don’t see.”